I’m late to talk about this, but Reif Othman is back (has been for the last 6 months actually, I’ve just been too caught up to talk about it), and is back with a bang. Reif Kushiyaki has been -without a doubt- on of the hottest new openings of 2019, for the following reasons:

1. Reif Othman is Dubais most coveted chef and consulting chef. Everything he touches turns to gold. The demand for him has expanded beyond our borders though, all the way till Monaco, Lebanon, Egypt and more. Since he left Play and drew the curtains on the original The Experience, Dubai has been waiting for him to return with bated breath.
2. His food is flipping phenomenal. I won’t be a blind fan girl and will admit that not everything he puts forth is a showstopper, but whatever he does right (which is the case more often than not), he really, really nails it!
3. No one in Dubai does beef better than Reif Othman, raw or cooked.
4. Not only can he cook, but his plating is simply beautiful. If you really look closely at some of his desserts particularly, the plates are quite often works of art
5. He seems to be a good leader, and I gather that from observing that wherever he goes, his trusted team of cooks goes with him. It appears that he cares for, gives them ownership and empowers them.
6. Personal opinion: he’s spearheading a very thoughtful charity initiative through which he is opening and running schools for the underprivileged in Zanzibar. In Islam, we believe that the more charitable you are, the more blessed you’ll be, so as far as I’m concerned, that might’ve been one of the reasons there was a line outside Reif Kushiyaki from Week 1.

I won’t talk much about the menu and what I like/love at Reif Kushiyaki in this post (the grilled/smashed avocado, the wagyu hot pot, the skewers, the tataki etc etc). but rather, this post is about the latest development: they’re now serving breakfast, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’ve known Reif for years and always told him that there’s a gap in the market for a casual but hip, slightly upscale Singaporean spot, and the fact that I can now get an authentic Nasi Lemak AND a perfectly crispy-skinned salmon donburi both at Reif Kushiyaki on Fridays and Saturdays has me beyond stoked.

I’ve been to Singapore and Malaysia umpteen times, and Japan only once but I did squeeze in a lot of meals, and I can confidently say that the salmon donburi AND the Nasi Lemak were both some of the best we’ve ever had.

For those of you who might not know, Nasi Lemak is a Malaysian breakfast staple of rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf, served with sambal paste, fried chicken, egg (either boiled or fried), sliced cucumbers, crispy anchovies, and peanuts. You mix a little bit of everything for a heavenly spoonful of a dish that is a bit of an acquired taste that you can’t fall out of love with once you’re hooked.

The key ingredient in the Nasi Lemak: the sambal  paste, is made by none other than Momma Reif herself, and it was the best darn sambal we’ve ever had. Admittedly, we felt it was a tad too pricey, at AED 105, but man- Dubai. It also comes wit a side of kaya butter toast (a thick slab of salted butter and a generous smear of a pandan, egg yolk, coconut milk and sugar), which is one of my personal kyptonites.

Other breakfast options include classics like avocado toast, twists on classics like a sesame butter thick toast, and even a yuzu flavored yogurt and granola.

I’m going to let you go for now, but highly recommend you head over to Reif Kushiyaki to try their breakfast/lunch/dinner/everything, and will definitely be reporting back as soon as I’ve tried the return of The Experience!

Happy New Year my lovely readers!